Jack Wilshere Arsenal D.N.A

255 Pages·2013·5.99 MB·English

by  Jacobs

For Noah & Ethan
Cover design by Dan Leydon
Dan Leydon is a self-taught illustrator working from his home
studio in Ireland. He mainly illustrates sport but his tastes veer
off into literature, film and gaming. Adept at communicating
his ideas through a range of vibrant styles, Dan is always trying
to outdo the last piece of work he produced. It’s rare that a
week goes by when he doesn’t say ‘I think this is my best piece
yet’.
His work can be viewed and purchased at the links below:
danleydon.tumblr.com
etsy.com/shop/footynews
@danleydon on Twitter
CONTENTS
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction – The Number 19
1 – Beginnings
2 – Beckham-esque
3 – The Cult of Di Canio
4 – Young, gifted and Invincible
5 – The next Fàbregas…
6 – A new generation
7 – Ups and downs
8 – Scholar
9 – The greatest Youth Team the world has ever seen
10 – Finishing school
11 – Breakthrough
12 – Setbacks
13 – Arsenal D.N.A.
Acknowledgements
Plates
Copyright
INTRODUCTION
The Number 19
Wenger doesn’t sell his best players
– PEP GUARDIOLA,
FORMER BARCELONA MANAGER
Holloway Road is alive with noise, fizzing with expectation
and anticipation as Bailey patrons down their pints and
punters finish off food outside burger vans. On Highbury
corner, red and white and yellow and blue jerseys mix with the
traffic, clogging up the buzzing thoroughfare as workers
navigate the early-evening rush. Crossing the busy junction and
across to Highbury fields, ducking under the bars towards the
bright lights of ‘The Grove’, the atmosphere is one of fate – of
what will be, will be. Up towards Drayton Park Station, past the
giant A-R-S-E-N-A-L lettering where fans pose for photos and
programme-sellers jangle change, the sounds of the Emirates
Stadium fill the air with that unique sense of anticipation
reserved only for European nights.
‘And it’s Arsenal … ARS-ENAL F.C …. we’re by far the
greatest team the world has ever seen!’ Gooners fill the ground
with noise as the teams arrive in the tunnel ready for the big
game. The stadium emcee reads out the names of the Arsenal
first team as the crowd dutifully fills in the blanks. ‘In goal,
Wojciech…’ ‘…Szczęsny!’… ‘Number three, Bacary…’ ‘…
Sagna!’ ‘Number four, Cesc…’ ‘Fàbregas!’ The players,
meanwhile, walk out into the bright lights of the stadium and
onto the perfectly maintained Emirates pitch. Eleven men with
one objective… to beat the best football team to have ever
played the game.
The match begins in much the same way as the previous
encounter 11 months before. Barcelona, replete in cool mint
green, dance around the slick Emirates pitch, playing their
trademark tiki-taka and waiting for the right moment to play
the ball through to their talented forwards. On 15 minutes, the
Catalans have a glorious chance when Andres Iniesta plays a
perfectly weighted pass through to Lionel Messi who, under
pressure from Arsenal’s Johan Djourou, dinks the ball past
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny and past the outside of
the far post. It’s a massive moment early on in the tie and
really should have been 1-0 to the Catalans.
Arsenal, though, grow into the game, and resurrect the steel
and spirit of generations past by soaking up the Barcelona
pressure and reciprocating with direct and formidable counter-
attacking football. The Gunners’ Robin van Persie, Theo
Walcott and Cesc Fàbregas all have chances to put their side
on the path to victory, but it is Barcelona who draw first blood
in the tie: as Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny push up and
keep a high line, Gael Clichy remains rooted to the spot and
subsequently plays David Villa onside; Messi’s through ball is
exquisite and true, while David Villa, as ever, slots home under
the onrushing Arsenal keeper, and peels away to celebrate by
the corner flag with his teammates.
The second half begins in similar fashion, until the Catalans’
high-pressure pressing game begins to show. As Barcelona tire,
Arsenal take full advantage, and on 78 minutes their
perseverance finally pays off. Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy
plays a cunning pass over the heads of Barcelona’s attack-
minded full-back Dani Alves and Robin van Persie, from a very
tight angle, drives the ball past a poorly positioned Victor
Valdes to send Arsenal level. Moments later, after good
defensive work from a certain 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder in
the number 19 shirt, the Gunners peel away from the Catalans
again: the youngster begins the move, sliding the ball to Cesc
Fàbregas who plays a wonderful ball through to the right flank
where it is picked up by Samir Nasri. As Barcelona retreat and
regroup, Nasri picks out Andrei Arshavin who is sprinting
through the heart of the Barcelona half; the Russian strikes the
ball sweetly into the back of the Barcelona net and sends
Ashburton Grove into raptures.
‘And it’s Arsenal… ARS-ENAL F.C…. We’re by far the
greatest team the world has ever seen!’ Arsenal 2 Barcelona 1
– the best scoreline of the season so far, and one of the most
significant scorelines of the Number 19’s budding Arsenal
career to date.
In the 18 months prior to the game, Wenger and the Arsenal
faithful had seen the emergence of the most promising talent
since the days Fàbregas stepped out against Rotherham United
and celebrated scoring his first Arsenal goal by returning home
and eating a Kinder Egg. The previous March, when Arsenal
travelled to the Camp Nou to futilely try and capitalise on a 2-2
first leg home draw against FC Barcelona, young midfielder
Jack Wilshere was recovering from a home defeat against
Manchester United. The player, on loan from Arsenal, was
plying his trade with Bolton Wanderers, contributing to a team
that was struggling to keep itself above the Premier League
parapet. Intended by Arsène Wenger to be his ‘finishing
school’, Owen Coyle’s Bolton Wanderers were slowly turning
Wilshere from a boy to a man, and consolidating a process
which had begun as a nine-year-old after he was scouted by the
North London club. Dextrous, graceful and a true Arsenal lad,
he was now, in February 2011, the chief instigator of an
Arsenal move which resulted in them scoring the winning goal
in a historic victory over one of the best teams for a generation
– FC Barcelona.
The boy’s rise from promising youth team prospect to the
first name on Wenger’s team sheet is the stuff of dreams for
most 20-year-olds. Young, tenacious, competitive and driven,
his presence in the tunnel at the start of the game is, arguably,
a microcosm of Arsène Wenger’s latest Arsenal project: that is,
youth, intelligence and raw, unbridled talent. Comparisons
were already being made with Arsenal youth team coach and
former player Liam Brady – the chief instigator, no less, of that
FA Cup final goal against Manchester United in 1979 – and the
young man from Hitchin had already etched his name into the
playing fabric of the north London club even before taking to
the pitch against the Catalan giants.
If that wasn’t enough, by the time he was leaving the pitch
after helping dispatch the Spanish side 2-1, he was being
hailed as one of the truly exciting stars of both Arsenal’s and
England’s footballing future. ‘In French academies and African
villages Wenger has pursued players capable of executing his
vision of what football should be: a game of pace, skill, fluidity,
adventure,’ said Paul Hayward in an article in the Guardian.
‘But all he had to do was motor north from the club’s training
ground at London Colney to a heartland of suburban Arsenal
support. There he found the most gifted young English
midfielder since Paul Scholes, who made his debut for
Manchester United at the age Wilshere is now.’ The difference,
says Hayward, is that Scholes played Port Vale when he was a
19-year-old wonder kid; Wilshere, on the other hand, is a first
team regular and has just received all the plaudits for
containing the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel
Messi and David Villa. The Independent’s James Lawton
concurred: ‘Wenger’s men showed strength where there was
once weakness… For a while this was mostly a tribute to the
pride of Cesc Fàbregas and his brilliant – and dogged – English
lieutenant Jack Wilshere. They said no, they would not submit
to the ceaseless passing rhythms of Messi and his assistants
Xavi and Andres Iniesta.’
The Arsenal manager, moreover, put it slightly more
succinctly: ‘[Jack] was outstanding tonight,’ Wenger told
Arsenal.com. ‘He was not fazed by the occasion in difficult
periods. He took the ball and got out of the pressure.’ Jack was,
in fact, slightly overwhelmed by the situation and was too shy
to ask his heroes – the very players he shackled for the majority
of the game – for their shirts. Responding to a Twitter picture
of Jack and his dad Andy holding up Xavi and Messi’s shirts,
captain Cesc Fàbregas tweeted: ‘Can’t believe i had to go to
get Messi’s shirt for u. U were so scared…you were MOTM
[Man of the Match] so ask yourself next time!’
A few days later, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was asked
once again whether he was still interested in signing the
Arsenal captain – a weekly transfer topic for the Spanish press,
especially in the wake of their defeat to Arsenal only five days
before. After telling the press that no, Arsenal will not sanction
a transfer for Cesc Fàbregas, the eager Spanish press asked
the Catalan coach about another certain 19-year-old Arsenal
player and whether he might be in Guardiola’s long-term
plans?
‘Arsenal are a wonderful side,’ the Barcelona manager said
in reply. ‘You will not hear me discredit Arsenal – they are a
great side with a great coach and they will be a very difficult
opponent. [Wilshere] is a great player – a great player for
Arsenal… And in any case, Arsène Wenger doesn’t sell his best
players.’
It was a very telling moment in the career of Jack Wilshere
who was signed as a nine-year-old schoolboy at the turn of the
century. His rise from promising wonder kid to one of the most
influential players in the current Arsenal side came as no
surprise to Wenger, Brady or the other coaches who had
watched the young man from Hitchin become one of the most
talented and technically gifted footballers of his generation.
From three successive seasons as captain of The Priory school
football team, through to experienced Arsenal first teamer and
England international, it looked as if Jack Wilshere’s time had
finally arrived.